Posted by David Porter on April 15, 2011 · 1 Comment
Nestled on the northern coast of the Big Island, the town of Hawi boasts quite a history: it was the birthplace of King Kamehameha, who united the Hawaiian Islands.
Now the largest town on the north end of the Big Island, Hawi is also the turnaround point for the biking portion of the the Ironman World Championship Triathlon each year.
In the early 20th Century, Hawi was a bustling commercial center for the sugar cane industry. This fueled a busy hotel that housed workers who came to farm the plantations. After a few short years of success, the hotel ultimately closed and was purchased by the Takata family who ran a grocery store in the building where Bamboo Restaurant and Bar is now housed.
After the grocery store moved down the road, and extensive renovations brought back original charm, Joan Steffy Channon, Bamboo’s owner, opened up a beautiful restaurant that serves local island delights.
It’s not just locals and tourists who sing the praises of this amazing restaurant: not only has it been voted Best Restaurant on the Big Island, but has also received the coveted Zagat rating of “Excellent” and received 2-stars from Foder’s. Rachel Ray has also paid a visit to Bamboo, highlighting its popularity and good eats.
As we walked into the restaurant, we saw a tongue-in-cheek sign that set the mood for our dining experience:
While we can’t confirm the “Naked Chefs” part, we do know that the atmosphere was fun and lively with great music & dancing and delicious food. We started our meal off with drinks: I had a Passion Fruit Mojito, while Carol enjoyed a Passion Fruit Mai Tai, which was perfectly fruity.
We then asked Joan to bring us a house specialty, and before we knew it, the Big Bamboozler showed up on our table. This sampler platter had 3 of their most popular appetizers, all three of which were unbelievable. The Chicken Sate Pot Stickers were hands-down the best pot stickers we’ve had in our entire lives. Wow!
They were served with their famous, spicy, sweet chili mint sauce, which added a really nice finish. The Thai Coconut Prawns also had a delicious sauce of coconut milk, garlic and ginger. The finale to the trio was a Kuala Pork Quesadilla which was topped with tropical fresh fruit salsa and sour cream. The flavors were all very familiar to us, but we’ve never before enjoyed them together in that combination.
Holy gastronomical adventure Batman!
After our appetizers, we enjoyed the Bamboo Salad which had organic locally grown greens, local macadamia nuts, and local papaya seeds. The great thing about this restaurant is that all of their ingredients come from Hawaii, so you know it’s going to be fresh and yummy! The salad was outstanding! We wished we could have another, but we knew it was time to move onto the Main Event, the entrees!
We ordered the Barbecued Pork Babyback Ribs or “broke da mouth” ribs, as they’re called, with homemade roasted pineapple barbecue sauce. This was absolutely wonderful, and a TON of food! It was very sticky and messy, but they kindly brought us warm, damp washcloths to clean up.
Psst … don’t tell anyone, but Carol was a real mess after eating these! 🙂
Joan then made an announcement to the entire restaurant, asking for those that had previously visited Bamboo to raise their hands. She welcomed those back, and then welcomed the first-timers. It was a lovely gesture that we really appreciated. Next, Chasity Cazimero began a traditional hula dance. We really enjoyed seeing some of the local culture up close and personal while dining.
We were getting full, but we kept going so that we could share as much as possible about this place! We tried the Bamboo Sliders which were Hawaiian BBQ pork sliders cooked Luau-style in a traditional Imu underground pit, then served on sesame buns.
We put up our white flag, as we didn’t think we could fit anything else into our bellies, but Joan convinced us otherwise, and served us a Small Bites sampler of three of their most popular sweet treats. This was perfect for a chance to have a little something sweet without a full dessert.
Each selection was just wonderful, and we think this is the best casual dining restaurant on the entire island! Next time you’re on the Big Island, stop in to the Bamboo Restaurant and Bar for a delicious, local dining experience!
Disclosure: this wonderful experience was provided by the kind folks at Bamboo Restaurant and Bar. Thank you very, very much!
Posted by David Porter on April 15, 2011 · 2 Comments
Miami Beach, Florida – Carol chuckled, “It’s interesting, forty years ago I was in South Beach doing what college kids do, and now, here I am in North Beach doing what baby boomers do.”
As her South Beach experience was BD (before Dave), I didn’t ask any questions, but I was very happy to have her companionship during our baby boomer Spring break in Miami Beach’s North Beach.
We spent a few hours and drove down into South Beach during the Spring break flurry. It was a massive swarm of bodies, and we were very happy to be in North Beach where we found beauty, tranquility, and a much smaller crowd on the beach.
Featured Miami Beach Spring Break Articles
While we spent many hours luxuriating at the Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa, we did find a few hours where we were out exploring the following venues:
We greatly enjoyed our visit to Florida’s Miami Beach. The weather was a perfect 80º, the humidity was a low 35%, and this is truly a place we looking forward to visiting again soon!
Posted by David Porter on April 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Note: click photograph for large version
This week’s Friday photograph was taken in February of 2008. As you can see, the grass was looking all “winterish”, but the clouds certainly created a dramatic backdrop for this American icon.
For our next trip, The Roaming Boomers® will be roaming to Washington, DC. We look forward to sharing our experience with you.
Have you ever been to Washington, DC?
Posted by David Porter on April 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
This weekend begins National Park Week!
Here’s this from the National Park Foundation:
The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, is teaming up with the National Park Service to celebrate National Park Week 2011 April 16 – 24.
Beginning this Saturday, people everywhere are invited to experience America’s nearly 400 national parks which will be fee FREE all week. Celebrating the theme “Healthy Parks, Healthy People,” national parks across the country are encouraging people to come visit, get outdoors, and embrace a healthy lifestyle, while also embracing the importance of keeping our parks protected and preserved.
In honor of National Park Week, the National Park Foundation is releasing 10 great ways to celebrate:
• Visit a national park! There are nearly 400 national parks in America, and during National Park Week, they are all fee FREE. Take the time to go visit, and discover the magic of these treasured places. Start by visiting www.nationalparks.org/explore.
• Healthy Parks make Healthy People. From hiking to biking to swimming, there are great outdoor activities in your national parks for visitors of all ages. Start by getting the FREE National Park Foundation Owner’s Guide and Parks For Play: 35 National Park Adventures for Kids of All Ages.
• Show your support! As we celebrate National Park Week, take the time to consider what it would be like without these iconic places. Give today to the National Park Foundation and your gift will be MATCHED up to $50,000! With your help we can provide the necessary support to America’s nearly 400 national parks.
• Volunteer Day is April 16! Give back to the national parks that give so much to us. Find a complete listing of volunteer events.
• Become a Junior Ranger! Introduce a young person to our national parks on Junior Ranger Day, April 23. Through the Junior Ranger program kids learn about history, the environment and much more. At the end, each participant will be sworn in as a National Park Service Junior Ranger. Kids can also get active with the new “Let’s Move Outside Junior Ranger” program celebrating First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative striving to end childhood obesity within a generation.
• “Check-In” on Facebook. Using Facebook “Places” on your mobile device, “check-in” at a national park and The North Face will donate $1 to the National Park Foundation! Just search for the national park near you using the latest version of the Facebook for iPhone app or by visiting https://touch.facebook.com/ from your HTML5-enabled mobile device.
• Meet a National Park Service Ranger! Do you know the people that help safeguard our national parks every day? Take the time to learn more about the National Park Service and the men and women that protect these special places. Get out and visit them or go to www.nps.gov to learn more.
• Share your adventure! Upload your photos, videos, poems or stories exclusively at facebook.com/nationalpark, and share your National Park Week experience with the world!
• Celebrate Earth Day in the parks! Take the time on April 22 to get outside to a national park and celebrate all the wonders and magical places that our planet has given us. In return, do the small things to show your appreciation like using environmentally-friendly transportation, recycling and supporting the National Park Foundation.
• Enter the “I Heart Parks” contest! Go to www.facebook.com/nationalpark for the opportunity to win daily prizes from the National Park Foundation including park passes, outdoor gear, and a trip to Shenandoah National Park!
For more information on National Park Week, and a full listing of events, including details on park-specific Earth Day events (April 22), Junior Ranger Day activities (April 23), and ways to lend a hand in local parks on Volunteer Day (April 16), visit www.nationalparkweek.org.
Posted by David Porter on April 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment
One of the things that we have learned in our many travels is that even the best laid plans are likely to be turned upside-down for any number of reasons.
During our recent trip to Hawaii, weather and other circumstances shut us out of three adventures that we were really excited about.
When this happens, we can whine and pull our hair out, like this poor guy, or we can learn to take these changes in stride.
Therefore, even though we didn’t get to participate in the following planned activities, we would really encourage you to check them out when you travel to the Hawaiian Islands.
Missed Adventure #1 – Zip N’ Dip Adventure
When we were on Kauai, we experienced a three-day-long massive storm that prohibited our ziplining adventure with Princeville Ranch Adventures. Nonetheless, we think you should check it out. We intend to when we next visit to Kauai.
Missed Adventure #2 – Captain Zodiac Whale Watching & Snorkeling
On Hawaii, the Big Island, we didn’t get to go out with Captain Zodiac to watch the whales dancing in the ocean. Furthermore, we didn’t get to snorkel in the Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii’s finest marine snorkel preserve and the site of Captain Cook’s Monument.
Just because the weather shut us out, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go!
Missed Adventure #3 – Snorkeling in Puako Reef
Unforeseen circumstances kept us from snorkeling with Kohala Kayak in the protected and pristine lava tubes of Puako Reef.
Just because we couldn’t go doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Check it out when visiting Hawaii’s Big Island.
Well, there you have it. Three great adventures that we didn’t get to share with you.
However, we are undaunted and plan to visit next year when we embark upon our annual trip to Hawaii.
If you happen to beat us to these adventures, please come back and share your stories.
The Roaming Boomers
Nestled on the northern coast of the Big Island, the town of Hawi boasts quite a history: it was the birthplace of King Kamehameha, who united the Hawaiian Islands.
